Persephone
by The 2786 Project
Summary: "They say that if you consume the fruit, you can never return from the realm of the dead." 2786
1. Chapter 1

Persephone

description: "They say that if you consume the fruit, you can never return from the realm of the dead." 2786

* * *

Tsuna was crowned Vongola Decimo at the Inheritance Ceremony in the very heart of the underworld as thousands of famiglia looked on. The stamp was sealed; the Japanese-born had been given the key to his throne, and only time would tell if the External Advisor's son was worthy of becoming 'the sky who encompassed all.'

The Tenth's Guardians were confident, proud even.

Vongola Nono seemed at ease with his choice candidate, and his Guardians had never doubted him. The Alliance was quick to throw in their support as well.

The rest of the mafia world simply waited.

Under Tsuna's leadership, the Vongola Empire experienced a surge in expansion and wealth that led to many decreeing the famiglia's return to the glory days.

It wasn't that Haru hated the glory days. She was proud of her friends and what they were able to do, but the mafia world was changing them. Changing her boys, changing Chrome and Kyoko, changing Tsuna-

"Haru."

She stiffened, whispering a panicked 'Hahi' with fingers frozen and splayed out on the keyboard as she looked up. There he was, handsome in his pressed suit and tie as he towered over her. "You're looking well," he said warmly. She resisted the urge to smooth the creases on her blouse.

"Thank you," she chirped. The young woman sipped her tea and looked around the room for an extra chair.

"No need," Tsuna interjected swiftly. "I won't be here for long. I have a meeting soon." She nodded, leaning into her chair as she fiddled with the almost empty cup.

"So what brings the esteemed Vongola X to see me?" Haru asked at last. Tsuna was extremely busy and it was rare to catch sight of him nowadays.

"What, can't I visit an old friend now and then?" The lopsided smile on his lips was absolutely sinful. That smile ought to be banned, Haru thought to herself. For the sake of those who fell victim to it. Though nowhere as tall or commanding as Yamamoto or Hibari, Tsuna had become quite the eye-catcher among women. But I liked him first, she stubbornly reminded herself.

"You're Decimo now," Haru said gently. "I wouldn't expect you to have much time on your hands. Tsuna grimaced.

"I can always make time for a friend."

Haru feigned confidence as she rolled her eyes, hoping that his Hyper Intuition wouldn't pick up on her racing heart. "Become quite the snake, haven't you?" she teased. "I don't remember you being this smooth with your words when we were younger."

Tsuna frowned, face solemn and almost hurt by this accusation. "Haru, I would never-"

"I'm kidding. Anyways, you came to see me about a project, right? Need one of my creations?" Haru couldn't help but note that Tsuna was so... serious nowadays. Always so poised and ridiculously graceful- where was the sweet-natured boy who worried over every little thing? "What are you thinking of?"

When Haru returned from the future, she understood that the mafia world was far more dangerous that she originally thought. Just as the Vongola line was embedded in Tsuna's blood, the famiglia was a part of her. She was Vongola. That much had become clear. Haru could never become a fighter,but she would find other ways to contribute to her second family. With a degree in engineering and the fine arts, Haru found herself working alongside the main branch's inventors: Giannini, Spanner, and Shoichi.

They were… brilliant, and undoubtedly in a league of their own. Still, Haru was proud to be the only woman within the Mechanics Division. It felt good when her co-workers came to her for a second opinion. It felt even better to know that her opinion was respected and even valued.

Gone was the girl who cowered behind men.

"-And new security surveillance. I was thinking that maybe we could implement signature Flames to ensure better protection." Tsuna folded his arms and waited as Haru doodled.

"I have a few ideas in mind, but you'll have to give me some time. I'll speak with Shoichi-san, and we should be able to have a meeting in a few days' time." Haru set aside the sketches and was surprised to see Tsuna with a pleased smile on his face.

"There's a reason why I came to see you and not Irie," Tsuna pointed out. She was dumbfounded for a moment.

"Y-you're assigning this to me?"

"This was originally supposed to be given to Irie," Tsuna admitted. "But I thought about it, and I decided that it would be a better idea to hand it over to you. After all, you're more than capable. It's about time you have a project of your own." Haru squealed and shot up from the chair. Without thinking, she clasped his hands and bounced up and down as she danced around him.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, Tsuna-san!"

Tsuna smiled back, cheeks flushed as he glanced down at their hands. "We're counting on you," he said simply. Still, the ecstatic look on her face made it well worth arguing with the racist bigots who'd opposed Haru's supervision of the project in the first place. The young woman realized just how close she was to Vongola's young leader and quickly backed away. She nervously ran her hands through her hair.

"I'll do my best," she promised.

"I expect nothing less."

Just as Tsuna walked halfway out the door, Haru called out to him before she could stop herself.

"Tsuna-san!"

"Yes?"

"I know you came to see me to talk about- about this, but I was wondering if you were free later sometime this week? Just to talk and catch up?" She prayed that he wouldn't turn around to look at her. Haru was sure that her cheeks were burning.

"What time are you free?"

God, it was as if she was fifteen and smitten all over again."I'm free all evening on Friday," she suggested. Tsuna swiveled around, an odd look on his face before a cautious smile broke out.

"Perfect."

"Perfect," Haru echoed.

* * *

author's notes: I'm back! I never thought I would return to the KHR fandom, but here I am with a ton of ideas ready to be released (and returned to.) Hopefully, there are a still a lot of 2786 fans out there who'll enjoy Persephone and anything else I put out there. I like to think that my writing has changed and evolved, and I only hope it gets better with each update. Let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter 2

Persephone

description: "They say that if you consume the fruit, you can never return from the realm of the dead." 2786

* * *

It was easy enough to make the reservation. Tsuna never liked flaunting his status, but being Vongola's leader had its perks at times. He sank back into his chair, mindlessly staring at the surface of his mahogany desk before skimming through a few folders left for his approval. Good lord, he hated paperwork. How had Nono ever done it? Tsuna could still remember how patiently his predecessor dealt with the workload.

Perhaps it was just a matter of time.

With a heavy groan, he began to read through the documents. "Might at well get it done now," he muttered. The papers Tsuna leafed through weren't serious enough to give him a headache, but they were lengthy enough to sap at whatever remaining energy he had. The mafioso grimaced as he massaged his temples.

"You look pathetic."

Tsuna sighed as he shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie. "Hello, Reborn. Don't forget to close the door." The ten year old kicked the door shut before seating himself in one of the spare leather chairs. Although only a child, Reborn was already starting to grow in the classic sideburns and well-defined cheekbones his adult self possessed; a complete contrast to the chubby cheeks and bare face Tsuna had grown to acquaint with his former tutor. Reborn ran a hand across his young face, looking unusually disgruntled for once.

"Bad day?"

"Dino's son is an absolute little monster. His mother is goodness incarnated, and his father is a pushover, so where the hell did he get that rotten attitude from?"

"Maybe it's because he has a nightmare of a godfather," Tsuna joked as he uncapped a bottle of water. He paled at the ominous look in Reborn's eye and breathed a sigh of relief as the former Arcobaleno's hand edged away from his pocket.

"I'll let that side," Reborn warned. "So I hear you have a date with Haru." Tsuna nearly spat out his drink at the sudden change of subject. It was well-known that his mentor possessed a keen sense of clairvoyance that nearly rivaled Tsuna's Intuition, but the Vongola mafioso always wondered just how much Reborn knew. The young man made a mental note to bug-proof the headquarters from Reborn's ant intelligence once he had the chance.

"How did you even hear about that? And it's not a date. We're going for dinner together as friends." Tsuna frowned as Reborn snorted in amusement.

"Friends," Reborn drawled, an annoying smirk plastered on his young face. God, Tsuna had always hated that smug look. "When I was your age, dinner with a woman usually meant a bottle of wine and a wild night in her-"

"Reborn, please." Tsuna furrowed his eyebrows, extremely uncomfortable with what Reborn was insinuating. The ten year old sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.

"So, a reservation?"

"Yes."

"You picked an awfully classy restaurant."

"What about it?"

"The best in the city," Reborn pointed out slyly. The satisfied grin on his face strongly reminded Tsuna of a cat closing in on an unsuspecting canary. Then again, subtlety had never been Reborn's forte.

"Fine," Tsuna admitted at last, throwing his hands up in the air. Even after ten years, the hitman still knew how to push all of his buttons. "I thought it'd be nice."

"Nice," Reborn echoed, furrowing his eyebrows. "You reserve dinner for two at a five-star restaurant and the best word you can summarize it with is _nice_."

"She deserves it. It's been so long since we've had a nice chat. And I thought it would be the perfect way to congratulate Haru on her first assignment."

"I wonder what Haru thinks of _nice_ ," Reborn mused.

"I wonder what Haru would think of you eavesdropping on our conversation," Tsuna said a tad more waspishly than usual. Reborn eyed his former student, face impassive as he bowed his head.

"Touché."

* * *

author's notes: TYL Tsuna is definitely charismatic, but I like to think that he can still be the little cinnamon roll his younger self was when he's not kicking ass and doing other mafia things. Hence, the Tsuna you see in this chapter. Also, with the Arcobaleno curse broken with the last chapter in the manga series, Reborn is now ten years old! With those explanations out of the way, I apologize for the short update and plan to write a lengthier chapter once finals are over. Thank you so, so much for reviewing and reading. I wasn't sure if anyone was left in the 2786 fandom, but I was so glad to see that we're still very much alive! I did recognize a few names, and I'm thrilled to see you guys still around.


	3. Chapter 3

Persephone

description: "They say that if you consume the fruit, you can never return from the realm of the dead." 2786

* * *

Haru paled at the ominous smile on Bianchi's face. Despite Haru's lack of background in the realm of assassination the older woman was so well trained in, the two females were surprisingly close. Bianchi was easily something like a mother figure for Haru. The younger woman could not even begin to count the number of times the Poison Scorpion had graciously stepped in and offered advice. So when Bianchi stepped into her room with an unusually pleased smile on her face, Haru wasn't sure what to think.

"Bianchi-san," Haru greeted, setting down her drafts. The older woman smiled as she eased herself onto Haru's bed. As part of Vongola's central support team, Bianchi was frequently absent from the base gathering crucial intelligence or completing assignments in the name of the Family. To say that Haru missed her was an understatement.

"Haru, I hear that you're redesigning our security. That's wonderful news. I'm very proud."

Haru flushed. Bianchi was not one to blindly give praise. "Thank you. How was the mission?" The assassin snorted, running a hand through her long pink locks.

"Ridiculous. But Fuuta and I got the job done. I thought I would drop by and help you get ready for tonight."

Haru moaned irritatedly. Was there anyone who didn't know? It was nice when one or two people wished her a fun time, but when everyone started to interrogate you, it was just tiring and downright embarrassing. "There's a lack of privacy in this building." The younger woman scowled, eventually shrugging off her annoyance. Well, this was to be expected. She grinned at Bianchi. "I was planning on telling you, so I suppose it really doesn't matter."

Bianchi crossed her arms. "I thought you'd be getting ready by now."

Haru blinked in confusion. Like other women, she enjoyed taking her time for a night out, but Haru was nowhere as slow as her female companions. She rolled up her sleeves, checking her watch with an air of lax confidence. "See, Bianchi-san," Haru said happily. "It's- oh my goodness! It's already our meeting time!"

Haru fell from her chair and stood up spluttering as she cleared her desk for her phone. "Why didn't Tsuna-san call me?" She fretted, haphazardly tossing clothes and stuffing papers into her drawers. Bianchi smiled in amusement, placing a reassuring hand on Haru's shoulder.

"You're just like Hayato. Always getting wrapped up in your work. I knew this would happen." The hitman calmly sifted through the wayward clothes and evaluated them with a critical eye. "You do your makeup," Bianchi calmly ordered. "I'll pick your outfit."

Haru was already reaching for her cosmetics, brushing aside her hair with an elastic band. "Thank you, Bianchi-san."

* * *

Tsuna drummed his fingers against the hood of the car. Haru sure was running late. He had offered to pick her up, but despite his best reassurances that it was really no problem at all, his childhood friend had refused. Was Haru sleeping? Had she forgotten? No, it wasn't possible. Perhaps she was sick? Kidnapped? Maybe it was a good time to call her.

"Tsuna-san!"

Haru bounded up to him with an apologetic look. The lip cream and the subtle makeup on her face hinted at anything but a kidnapping. Tsuna shook his head, chagrined at the weird twist his thoughts had taken. Did he have such little faith in Haru that he was quick to jump to such conclusions? Or was it that he was so paranoid from his experiences in the underbelly of the mafia world?

"I'm terribly sorry," Haru rambled, absentmindedly fumbling with the hem of her dress. "I was reviewing my memos and I didn't realize how quickly time passed, but here I am! Thanks to Bianchi-san!"

"Bianchi-san?" Tsuna echoed, furrowing his eyebrows. Wasn't Bianchi on a diplomatic mission with Fuuta in Italy?

Haru smiled. "She's back already. Bianchi-san dropped me off on her motorbike just now."

"I see." If Bianchi was back already, their efforts must have been successful. Tsuna reminded himself to later drop in on the two and hold a meeting. And once he heard back from them, Tsuna would have to consult CEDEF and his Guardians... And once was that done-

"Tsuna-san?"

Haru was looking at him with wide eyes, analyzing his focused face and furrowed eyebrows. She knew him well enough to figure out when he was thinking. "Tsuna-san, if the Famiglia needs you, it's okay to move this to another night. This can wait. Your priority is the future of the Vongola." It was so like Haru to wholeheartedly push him towards his responsibilities. And while he appreciated it, Tsuna couldn't help but be irked all the same.

All Haru did lately was to work for the sake of the Vongola. It was amazing, admirable even. Call him gallant. Call it being overly chivalrous. But Tsuna wanted her to be a little more selfish like her younger self.

"No, it's fine. Nothing to worry about. Shall we go?"

Haru eyed him suspiciously before finally accepting his proffered arm. "Alright."

* * *

Haru couldn't stop ogling. She often attended parties and various social gatherings, but the extravagance of this restaurant was starting to intimidate her. Everywhere she looked, Haru could see chandeliers and velvet floors running on for miles and miles. "Um, Tsuna-san, isn't this a little… excessive?" Tsuna looked up from his menu, puzzled at the torn look on Haru's eyes.

"You don't like it?"

"No, no! It's lovely. When I meant dinner, I meant something quieter. Nothing too fancy and um…" Haru eyed the prices and swallowed when she thought about her savings. "Expensive?"

"Don't worry, I'm paying tonight."

"No," Haru protested firmly. Tsuna couldn't help but smile at his companion's adamant frown."We're splitting the bill. Next time, I'll pick the place. So let's enjoy ourselves tonight."

Despite her mixed feelings, Haru found no difficulty enjoying her meal. She sampled her food with relish, squealing with delight as her taste buds sang with an amalgam of flavors. Tsuna happily dug into his own plate, though nowhere as vocal about his satisfaction as Haru was. "Thank you so much," she mumbled through a mouthful of fish. "I really- _oops_." Haru flushed as a sliver of her chewed meal fell from her mouth onto the table. She quickly swabbed at the food with a napkin, carefully tucking it in a way that would hide the evidence.

"I really appreciate this," Haru began again, bravely stabbing at the remnants of her food. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. That was pretty gross." She gestured at the crumpled napkin with a self-conscious smile. Tsuna grinned back.

"I couldn't care less," he told her truthfully. "But that was pretty gross. I can keep a secret. That's a Vongola promise." Haru's smile grew wider. This was… nice. Unexpectedly nice. As a teenager, she had often fantasized eating out with the Vongola heir. And here she was ten years later experiencing the real thing. Much to their waiter's amusement, Haru attempted to snatch the check from his hands as quickly as she could, only to be brushed off by Tsuna as he plucked the bill from her hands.

"I got it," he firmly told the server. Tsuna smugly turned to Haru as she glowered.

"I thought we agreed to pay equally!"

"Did you really think I'd let you?"

"Yes, I had your word! Mou, Tsuna-san…" Haru huffed. She brightened as she spotted a trolley loaded with cakes pass them by. "But I'm paying for dessert." Dessert? Tsuna eyed Haru's wide smile with uncertainty? She had room left for more? A childhood memory suddenly flashed through his mind, bringing him back to his Namimori days in the town's local bakery.

He'd almost forgotten. Haru always had room for more. He sat back thoughtfully, watching Haru's face as she talked animatedly about the pros and cons of different pastries. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

* * *

author's notes: Back to school in a few more days! I don't plan to make Persephone anything too heavy, just a collection of moments in Tsuna and Haru's lives. The real focus will be on the couple of stories that I'm working on, though I can't say what they are just yet. Also, if any of you want to watch a new anime, I'd highly recommend Working! It's great, great, great. Check it out if you'd like!


	4. Chapter 4

Persephone

description: "They say that if you consume the fruit, you can never return from the realm of the dead." 2786

* * *

After their dinner, Haru dragged the mafioso to Namimori's confectionary shop in hopes of buying her favorite sweets. To her disappointment, the store was closed for the night. Despite Tsuna's assurance that they could go to a nearby town and buy the same dessert at another store, Haru turned down his offer with a polite smile and asked if they could go home instead. When she woke the next morning, the young woman found a creamy white box sitting on her desk. Haru was astounded when she opened the case. Rows of glistening hakuto jelly peeked at her from layers of seashell pink tissue paper. She sampled one of the packages, nearly swooning as her tongue was enveloped in soft, peachy goodness.

Never one to hoard anything for herself, Haru was quick to share her desserts with the rest of the family. Her coworkers were pleasantly surprised to receive the Okayama specialty, although Spanner was initially hesitant to try the jelly. When the mechanic finally conceded to Haru's encouragement, he was pleasantly surprised. "Delicious," Spanner murmured in astonishment before polishing off the rest of his treat. Haru smiled, picking up the last confection as she patted his shoulder. "Good to hear," she said. "I'm going to be right back."

Spanner's eyes wandered from the wrapped jelly in Haru's hand to the faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Are you going to give that to Vongola?" She nodded sheepishly, conscious of how warm her face and hands felt. The mechanic's mouth softened to reveal the faintest traces of a smile. "Get going then." Haru grinned excitedly, waving goodbye as she bounced away.

With a hand over her beating heart, the young woman wondered what to say as she rapped her knuckles smartly on the door. The doorway swung open, revealing a haggard looking Tsuna. The bags under his eyes and his solemn countenance was a complete reversal from the charming man she dined with. "Tsuna-san?" Haru asked hesitantly, taking in his exhausted figure with wide eyes. "What happened to you?" He smiled bashfully and held out the door wider. Haru took up Tsuna's unspoken offer and stepped into his office.

"A lot," Tsuna admitted. "Usual Vongola business." Haru eyed him critically as she dangled the jelly in the air.

"Does usual Vongola business include procuring desserts from the _wagashi_ store, Tsuna-san?" Sure enough, his eyes widened slightly and the head of the Vongola broke his composure for a moment. _Bingo_. Haru shook her head in amusement and pointed at him triumphantly. "I knew it! The jelly had your name all over it. How did you even have the time to buy them? We came back from the restaurant really late."

Tsuna shrugged, looking away from Haru as he adjusted his collar. "You seemed really disappointed. I didn't want your night to end with a bad note. It wasn't a big deal. Really." Haru tilted her head and reached for his hand, gently unclenching his closed palms open before depositing the wrapped jelly in his palm. His gaze lingered on her slim fingers as she withdrew her hand.

"Judging by how tired you are, I'm going to guess that you had to pull quite a few strings. Haru is grateful, Tsuna-san. In fact, let me get you something. It's the least I can do." Tsuna protested and she tsked at him. "Let me do this," Haru admonished cheerfully. He impulsively reached out for her in an attempt to keep her from leaving, and she nimbly darted out of his reach.

"I'll be right back!"

As Tsuna waited for Haru returned, he couldn't help but notice that the office was nowhere as bright and cheerful with her gone. The young boss still had no idea what had inspired him to spontaneously bargain with the confectionary shop in the morning. Lately, the way he felt about Haru was changing. Something about her body posture, her eyes, and her voice drew him to her. The dynamics of their relationship were changing- the way he viewed Haru was changing- and she seemed to have no idea.

Tsuna jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to see Haru scrutinizing him, steaming mug in hand. "You really need to rest," she scolded. "You may be Decimo, but don't let it get to your head. Tsuna-san is human, just like the rest of us." Tsuna couldn't help it. He broke out into a grin.

"Duly noted."

"I have to get back to work," Haru said distractedly, moving back the sleeve of her shirt to look at her watch. "And I know I already thanked you, but no one's ever done anything like that for me before. It was very sweet of you." She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him in a short hug. A waft of floral shampoo washed over him. Before he could return the action, Haru backed away. Her smile was unusually shy. "Sorry," she apologized. "I, uh. I'm pretty giddy."

"You should take this," Tsuna said lamely, holding out the confection to her. She shook her head and waggled her fingers to say goodbye.

"I already stuffed myself. See you around, _Decimo_."

Tsuna watched her leave and sighed, taking a sip of his coffee before downing the drink whole. God, he was so screwed. Whether he liked it or not, he was undeniably, most definitely attracted to her.

* * *

author's notes: Tsuna isn't in love with Haru… _yet_. But he does like her a lot. This is just the beginning of what will become a deep, deep love. HAHAHA. Anyways, thank you again and again for your guys' support :) You say the nicest things. It means a lot. I know the chapters have been pretty short, but Persephone is really just something for me to have fun with and warm me up since I'm incredibly rusty. And super busy. But I will be uploading pretty much every week or every other week. I'm contemplating if I want to crank up the rating to M, but I haven't decided yet. Thoughts on that?


End file.
